Harry, Baby, Hurry Through the Window Tonight
by celtics534
Summary: Okay, he's not Father Christmas, but he did have a very good reason for breaking into the house.


**Based on the prompt in the summary! A muggle AU. TheDistantDusk and gryffindormischief were awesome with their suggestions and edits! **

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Ginny flicked on her bedroom light at the second loud crash. She had bolted out of bed when the first thud echoed from the kitchen. Because the cat had been snuggled beside her, Ginny had no idea what or who it could be; she lived on her own.

She rose off the mattress slowly, hoping to avoid making the old frame creak. Grabbing the cricket bat from beside the bedroom door, she cautiously stepped out into the corridor. She didn't live in a large flat. Just a few basic rooms, such as a kitchen and toilet. Hell, the kitchen was only separated from the sitting room by a small island tabletop.

The house was dark, but Ginny knew the layout of her ground-floor flat well. She stepped over the dumping spot for her team kit, which never seemed to make it into the laundry bin at first. She then dodged the recently arisen Christmas tree near the sofa. The kitchen was cast in a half-light from the streetlamp outside, giving Ginny a view of a dark shadow crouched near the sink.

Not giving it a second thought, Ginny raised the bat up high bring it down as hard as she could on the figure.

"_Fuck_!" The figure spun on its heels, keeping low to the ground but now raising arms to cover its head. Ginny brought the weapon back up high, more than ready to swing again when the man made a stop gesture. "Wait. I can explain."

"So can I." Ginny brought the bat down to his shoulder with a satisfying smack. "You broke into my house."

The man -and now Ginny knew it was a man - nodded as he crawled sideways, trying to get out of her swinging zone. "Yes I did, and I'm sorry about that, but it was the first place I found with an unlocked window!"

"Were you looking for an easy score?" Ginny followed him as he scooted across the floor, her bat at the ready. "Because if so, you've got another thing coming!"

"Easy score?" She saw the man blink as he passed in a long beam of the street light. His eyes made her pause. They were hypnotic green. He shook his head wildly. "No! I wasn't coming to rob you. I was trying to get away."

Ginny held her pose, bat ready for the next swing, but her brow furrowed. "Get away from what?"

The man kept his hands up, his palms showing. "Can I stand up to tell you? The floor is rather uncomfortable."

She considered saying no; she didn't want him to have any advantage. But instead, she nodded. When he rose onto his knees, Ginny kept her voice low and menacing like Bill had instructed her all those years ago; it kept fear in her opponent. "You make one wrong move and I aim for the side of your head. And I don't miss."

His eyes went wide as he nodded. "Fair enough." When he got to his feet, Ginny couldn't help but give him a once over. Not only were his eyes entrancing, but he was fit. _Really fit_. Messy black hair stuck up in odd, strangely appealing angles on the top of his head, which somehow worked well with the scruff growing on along his jawline. _Fuck_. If robbing houses wasn't his career, then he must be a model.

_Don't go there, girl_, Ginny scolded herself. Now was not the time or place. The man was a full head taller than her so she had to look up in order to see his eyes;she wanted to be on guard for any changes, not just because they were so… _provocative_.

"So I guess I'll start with my name." He gave her an awkward yet way-too-endearing smile. "I'm Harry."

_Looks and a name to match royalty. Fuck, Ginny! _She pushed her ridiculous musings aside. "All right, Harry." Ginny gestured with her chin towards the stools that sat by the island. "Why are you in my flat?"

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"So just to get this straight." Ginny pointed the uneaten half of her reindeer-shaped biscuit. "This bloke at the pub thought you were making a move on his girl, but really she had made a move on you. So you ran away because he had mates ready to beat you up. You choose a random road and decided to try and hide in one of the flats. The first few windows were locked but mine wasn't, because I'd burnt dinner last night and needed to open the window to let the smoke out." She quirked a brow. "Does that about sum it up?"

Harry nodded, taking a sip from the chipped mug that Ginny had given him. This had become one of the weirdest days of his life. It had started with that handsy girl in the bar, and now he was having tea and biscuits with the woman who's flat he'd broken into. After he'd started his tale, Ginny had started the kettle, and now thirty minutes later, they sat together like best mates.

Really though… Harry couldn't help but like Ginny. She was inquisitive, funny (based on the comments made during his storytelling), and not to mention she had one hell of a swing. And none of that even started to cover how _fucking _attractive she was. At first, he'd considered letting her keep swinging that bat at him if it meant he could stare at her.

"So there is just one thing that I don't quite understand." Ginny licked at her upper lip, removing a few stray crumbs. Harry had to force himself to focus on her words rather than her movements. "Why did you try to open windows? That just seems like an odd choice to make."

He nodded. She made a good point. "Honestly... I heard their voices yelling down the street and I just went into a '_get the fuck out of the way'_ mode. I didn't really think. It was a first instinct."

Ginny smirked an _all too _sexy smirk. "Quick on your feet there, Harry."

_Was it normal to get aroused from someone saying his name?_ Harry swallowed hard, hoping his cheeks didn't give away his current - _thoughts_. "Well, I mean..." His hand came to rub the back of his neck. "They don't let just anyone become a bobby."

"Hmmm." Ginny's smile became mischievous. "That true. Gotta be careful with who you trust with handcuffs."

Harry, who had just taken a bite from his biscuit, started to choke. He coughed, clearing his lungs of the offending cake.

Ginny laughed, reaching across the small table to pat his back. "Really, I should be asking to see your warrant card."

Through sharp intakes of breath, Harry reached into his trousers pocket and pulled out the little wallet he kept his card in. He flipped the cover off, revealing his horrendous photo. Ginny examined it for a long moment, taking in all the information, before nodding in satisfaction. "I guess you're safe from my bat." She winked. "For now."

"Much obliged," Harry said through large breaths.

She smiled at him, leaning back into her chair. They sat in comfortable silence, the sounds of merry crowds milling outside filtered by the thick flat walls. Harry tried to keep himself from staring at Ginny, but it was a nearly impossible challenge. His eyes flickered between the freckles that spread across her cheeks and nose and the few strands of hair that remained out of the messy ponytail falling over her dark brown eyes… her bewitching eyes. _Pull it together Potter!_

He cleared his throat, nodding towards the last biscuit on the plate. "Wanna split it?"

Ginny cocked her head, squinting at him in consideration. After a moment she smiled and nodded. "I guess in the Christmas spirit, I'll share." She broke the wafer in half and handed one side to Harry. "But just so you know, normally I wouldn't share."

"Well, then I feel honored." Harry bowed his head at her before taking a bite.

She snorted, biting off the top of Santa's hat. "So, now that you're a wanted man, what's your plan for the night?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess I could go back to Remus'. I was supposed to meet an old college friend at the pub but he never showed, and"- he checked his phone- "never even texted to tell me what happened."

Ginny shook her head. "Some mate you have there."

"He probably got distracted by his girlfriend." Harry rolled his eyes. "His excuse will be something along the lines of, he won't see her for a week."

"Wow, your mate and my brother would get along swimmingly. Sometimes I think my brother will follow her in the loo - and not to do anything that would get them on Santa's naughty list. He just because he can't be apart from her."

Harry laughed. "Joined at the hip?"

"To say the least." Ginny shook her head. "But back to you, my friend. What's Harry's _new _big bad Christmas Eve." She glanced at the clock above the stove. "Make that Christmas Day plans?"

"Oh, you know, going gallivanting across London. Find the blokes from before, challenge them to a duel to the death, win, impress all the women that have gathered around our battle and then find my future wife in the crowd. You know, a normal Christmas miracle."

Ginny stared at him for a moment, her mouth agape, before she started laughing so hard her shoulders shook.

Warmth spread through Harry's chest as she laughed. _Fuck, _she had an adorable laugh.

"You, my good sir," Ginny spoke through the tail end of her guffaws. "Have high holiday hopes."

He shrugged, hoping to feign nonchalance, but really his head was concocting a holiday fantasy around _him and her_. "What about you then?" His voice dripped with sarcasm, that the smile on his lips diluted. "What were you doing home on this fine eve?"

Ginny brought the tea mug up to her lips, taking a sip before replying, "If you must know, I was already in bed. I have a long drive tomorrow morning and I wanted to leave early."

"Where are you going?" Harry tried to keep his tone casual while his mind played through different scenarios, all of which ended with her meeting her ruggedly handsome boyfriend for Christmas tea and having their own little _present_ exchange.

"My family always gets together for presents. Typically I would be there tonight and we'd watch _Love, Actually_, but I had to work today so I figured I'd just leave tomorrow morning." Ginny's smile became wistful. "I thought about watching before bed tonight, but -" She shrugged.

"It's not the same," Harry spoke quietly, knowing exactly what she meant. He knew what it was like to put off traditions that had once been an integrated part of the holidays. Ever since Sirius had…

When she locked eyes with him, Harry was certain there was more than just understanding passing between them. Her gaze seemed to ignite something inside him, making his whole body tingle.

"Would you like to watch it?" Ginny's laid-back tone didn't match the ardent look in her eyes. "I have the DVD somewhere around here."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that sounds nice."

Ginny beamed at him, making his heart race like he'd run a marathon. She stood from her chair and gestured towards the sitting room. "If you can figure out the entertainment system, I'll make us some popcorn."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ginny pressed her nose into the warm pillow, refusing to let go of the satisfying feeling of being snuggled up in such a pleasant blanket. When the tip of her nose collided with something hard, her eyes opened in confusion. All she could see was green. Her pillowcase wasn't green…

She pulled away from Harry's shirt, quickly becoming aware of her surroundings. Her sitting room sofa, a throw blanket, Harry's back against the back of the sofa, his arm resting over her hip. Ginny was too shocked to move. _What the fuck had happened last night?_

As if it were a film, her mind replayed the previous night. Settling down to watch _Love, Actually_, talking throughout the movie, scooting closer to share the blanket, how her head had used his shoulder as a pillow.

_Okay_, Ginny forced herself to take calming breaths, which didn't really help anything seeing as it just filled her lungs with Harry's woodsy scent. _How does he smell so good?_ She mentally shook herself. _Not the time, Ginny_!

Slowly, she lifted Harry's arm off her. As gently as she could, Ginny rose off the cushions, hoping not to wake Harry. Ginny picked her phone off the coffee table, checking the time. She had just over an hour before she wanted to leave for her parents' house.

Ginny considered her options. She could wake Harry and kick him out, wake him up and talk with him, or just leave him and make herself some breakfast. It wasn't a hard decision, as her stomach growled loudly.

It didn't take her long to scramble some eggs and toast. As she took the kettle off the hot mat, a groan came from the sitting room. Ginny considered her options again. Deciding it would just be easier to keep everything natural, she grabbed another mug from the cupboard.

When Harry's head stuck up over the back of the sofa, shivers ran up Ginny's spine. She's always had a thing for messy dark hair, and mix that with everything else Harry had going for him… _I swear to God, if you don't calm the fuck down, girl_.

"And here I was gonna bring you breakfast on the sofa." Ginny laughed as Harry nearly fell off the cushions to look at her. His charming green eyes blinked rapidly.

"I - uh -" Harry's voice was alluringly rough, and Ginny had to contain another shiver. He cleared his throat. "Not that your sofa wasn't comfy or anything, but why did I sleep on it last night?"

Ginny snorted. "Because I wasn't gonna let my almost robber sleep in my bed."

Harry started at that. "That's not what I -"

"We fell asleep watching the film last night," Ginny interrupted, hoping to avoid giving Harry a heart attack.

"We -" Harry stood from the sofa and made his way over into the small kitchen. "Oh, right." He stopped in beside the table, his forearm resting on the back of the chair. "Well, happy Christmas. I didn't have time to get you anything, sorry."

Ginny laughed. "Seems we're both forgetful. Will you settle for a good breakfast?"

"Best present I've received all year."

It shouldn't feel so natural, Ginny thought as Harry set the table with utensils from the drying rack. She shouldn't feel comfortable with him eating at her table. _Fuck_, she definitely should not want to crawl back into his arms. But there was something about Harry that was just - magnetic.

They ate, chatting about nothing and yet everything. She brought up how excited she was to spend Christmas with her little nieces. Harry smiled as he told her about getting to spend the holiday with his old university mate. They talked well after their plates were clean. Ginny knew it was getting closer to the time she needed to leave, but she didn't want to.

It wasn't until they were cleaning the plates together (her washing, him drying), that time became real again.

"What time are you leaving?" Harry asked as he placed the dry fork into the drawer she'd shown him.

Ginny looked at the clock. "I should have left five minutes ago."

"Oh." Harry's tone was casual, but Ginny swore she saw his shoulders drop. "I guess I should get going, then."

Ginny wanted to say no. She wanted to ask him to stay, which was _completely _ridiculous. And yet, she wanted him to be there when she returned from her parents. Ginny wanted to curl back up on that sofa and watch another film… or _not watch a film_.

She was so distracted she didn't notice that she'd been scrubbing the same plate for entirely too long until Harry's hand came over to stop the motion. He'd moved in close, his eyes full of concern. "Are you okay?"

He was so close she only needed to lean up in order to connect their lips. It would be so simple, she even started rising onto her toes before something stopped her. She pulled back, clearing her throat. "I'm fine. Just thinking about the day."

Harry nodded, his cheeks turning pink. "Right." He put the flannel down on the counter before grabbing his coat off the back of the kitchen chair. He turned back to her, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Ginny, I - I -" He sighed. "Enjoy your Christmas." Then he was gone, closing the front door behind him with a gentle click.

Ginny put her head down on the kitchen counter, regret coursing through her entire body. Why the _fuck _hadn't she at _least _gotten his number? She lifted her head to see it was well past the time she should have left. Sighing heavily, she went to go gather her presents. She needed to get going or face her mother's wrath for being late.

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Harry tried to flatten his hair for the sixth time in ten minutes. There was no reason for his nerves. He was just stopping at his mate's childhood home for a bit. Harry just wished Ron had told him about the trip to Devon. When Ron has asked him to spend the holiday with him, Harry had mistakenly assumed he'd meant at his flat.

"Knock it off." Ron laughed as he turned down a long dirt road. "I told you, my mum's gonna love you, despite your inability to comb your hair."

He sent Ron a rude gesture, which just made the redhead laugh harder. The drive curved every which way, making Harry grateful he didn't get car sick. After a few minutes of winding this way and that, they pulled up in front of an old farmhouse. The foundation was off-kilter, making the rest of the building lean, but Harry loved it. It had such a homely charm between all the Wellington boots on the front porch and the chickens roaming the side garden.

Ron parked the car between a Land Rover and old Ford. He reached into the back seat, pulling a bag full of wrapped gifts. "Just a little something for everyone." Ron shrugged off Harry's inquisitive look.

They made their way through freshly shoveled paths that lead to the front door. Without knocking, Ron walked into the house calling out greetings. Harry followed behind him, looking around at all the framed photos and comfy sitting room furniture. Three men chatted while a blonde woman tended an infant.

"Ah, you must be Harry." A pleasant voice spoke from the adjoining doorway. A balding man held out his hand. "I'm Ron's father, Arthur."

Harry took the offering. "Thank you for having me."

Arthur's smile was just as calming as his voice. "Of course! Molly and I have been excited to meet the _famous_ Harry Potter. Let me introduce you to everyone." Arthur placed a warm hand on Harry's shoulder, guiding him through the room. "There's Bill, Fred, and George over in the chairs there." He pointed to the group of men, two of whom had identical smirks. "Fleur, who is married to Bill, and their youngest, Dominique."

Fleur looked up from the baby and smiled at him. Arthur roved over to the doorway he'd come from, which lead to the kitchen. While the sitting room has been peaceful with a crackling fire, the kitchen was a storm of activity.

"And this is my lovely wife, Molly." Arthur beamed at older woman mixing some sort of batter. "Molly, Ron's friend Harry is here." Molly stopped mixing, placing the bowl down on the counter before wiping her hands on her already covered apron.

Harry expected a handshake or maybe a pat on the shoulder as a greeting, but Molly didn't do anything in halves. She pulled Harry into a bear of a hug, making him worry about his ribs cracking. "Lovely to meet you, Harry."

"You too, Mrs. Weasley." Harry choked the words out.

When she released him, Harry took a deep breath. "Call me Molly, dear." She looked over her shoulder at the well-scrubbed table where two women sat. "Oh, you haven't met Angelina and Alicia. They're dating the twins." The two women gave him a welcoming grin as they continued rolling dough. "I would introduce you to our daughter, but she's out with Vic." Molly glanced up at the ceiling with an annoyed look, that was negated by the smile on her lips. "I asked her to help me and then like magic she was minding the little one."

Like a summoning the back door opened wide, letting in a cheering little girl. "I won, Aunt Ginny."

"That you did, girl, that you did!" That voice. Harry's heart jumped into his throat, he recognized that voice. Ginny walked in, her smile wide as she looked down at her niece. "But next time you won't be so lucky."

Harry knew his jaw must be on the floor, but all he could do was stare. That morning all he'd wanted to do was kiss this woman, but then she'd backed away. He hadn't wanted to push her, so he'd backed off. But _fuck_! She had been in his head all day. The way she seemed to heat his entire body with just one look, and how perfect it had felt when her head rested on his shoulder. Harry regretted it the moment he'd walked out her front door, he'd even considered turning around but there had been a voice in his head saying maybe it was just one-sided. That maybe she'd had pulled away from him because she didn't want to give him false hope.

But when their eyes met in that kitchen, Harry could feel it again. That raw heat, mixed in with shock. Ginny's mouth fell open. "You!"

"Ginny!" Molly scolded. "That's no way to greet someone."

Ginny turned towards her mother, blinking rapidly. After a moment she took a deep breath. "You're right, Mum." When her focus came back to Harry, he swore his heart skipped a beat. "So, which one of my brothers is your old uni mate?"

"Ron." Harry was shocked that words were able to get past his tied tongue. "I - uh -" He was very aware that everyone in the kitchen was watching them: Arthur and Molly with confused smiles, Angelina and Alicia with grins that were more impishly amused.

Ginny seemed to notice the eyes on them as well because she pointed a thumb over her shoulder towards the back door. "Care for a tour around the garden?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ginny couldn't stop glancing over at the man walking beside her. The entire drive over she'd cursed herself for letting him leave that morning, and now he was at her parents'? She didn't believe in the idea of fate or destiny, but the moment she'd looked into his gorgeous eyes… Ginny started re-thinking her theory.

"So -" Harry cleared his throat. "Don't have your bat on you, right? Because I know how you respond when someone arrives unannounced."

"What?" Ginny had to reel her mind back to the present. "Oh, right! Well, I always happen to keep a spare in the boot of my car." She stopped in the middle of the cleared path and pulled Harry to halt by the hand. When his eyes locked onto hers, warmth spread throughout her body like wildfire. She sent him what she hoped was a coy smile. "_But_ if you're telling me I may _need _it."

Harry tugged her back as she pretended to head towards her car. His pull was more powerful than she'd expected and Ginny fell right into his chest. Harry pulled back, his cheeks red from more than just the cold. "Sorry! I didn't mean to - I, uh -"

Ginny couldn't take it anymore. What was the point of avoiding - _whatever_ this was between them? Her mind drifted back the film they'd watch the previous night. "So is this the moment I casually mention I wanna marry you, have loads of sex, and have your babies?"

If Ginny had thought his cheeks were red before, Harry put a tomato to shame at that moment. His mouth fell open as he stared at her. She could see the wheels turning behind his eyes, his memory placing the line. He closed his mouth, a hesitant smile crossing his lips. "How about we start with the second thing on your list and make our way from there?"

"I think..." Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck, bring him to her eye level. "I can live with that." She pressed her lips to his. It didn't take long for Harry to respond. His fingers pressed into her hips with a tantalizing pressure. With his body pressed tightly to hers and his scent (that addicting woodsy smell) filling her lungs, everything else seemed to disappear but him.

"Ginny? Oh!" Molly's voice was the first thing to break through the fog Harry had created. Ginny pulled away to see her mother standing by the back door. In retrospect, she and Harry should have gotten out of sight of the house, but she just hadn't been able to control herself.

Molly gave them what was supposed to be a sheepish grin, but instead her entire face glowed with delight. "I'm so sorry. I just wanted to know where she left my pie pan, but I'll just go rummage through the cupboards. Just pretend I was never here." And just like that, Molly was back in the house.

Ginny snorted. Her mum had never been one to see her children in their relationships. She'd expected to be told to get inside and get to work, but instead, her mother had -

Harry blinked at her, his brow cutely creased in confusion."What's so funny?"

"My mum just encouraged me to keep snogging you." Ginny shook her head, unable to hold back her amusement. "She once made Ron stop holding his girlfriend's hand." Her eyebrows creased. "But to be fair that girl was crazy, and everyone knew it. I guessing mum just didn't like her."

"Oh." Harry's confusion cleared, slowly replaced with a bashful smile. "But you think she likes me?"

Ginny leaned up to kiss him again. "I know I do." She reluctantly pulled out of his arms. "Hey, you're staying for supper, right? Would you like to stay for supper?"

"Would you like to stay forever?!"

Ginny turned to the sound of her mother's voice. Molly was hanging out the kitchen window watching the scene like an enthusiastic film watcher. All that was missing was the popcorn. "Mum!" Ginny yelled across the yard. "What are you doing?"

"I said to pretend I wasn't there, not that I _wouldn't _be there." Molly's mischievous smirk was clear even from a distance. "What do you say, Harry dear?"

"I -" Ginny turned back to Harry who was shaking, from what could only be silent laughter. "Oh, don't encourage her," she complained.

Harry laughed out loud this time. He pulled her back into his warmth, his mouth inches from hers. "And what will _you _do to stop me?"

"Ah!" Ginny moved her fingers up to play with the little hairs at the base of his neck. "My bat isn't my only method of _persuasion_." Harry's breath hitched as she ran her nose along his jaw. Just as her lips hovered over his, she stepped away. "But it is one of my favorites." She turned and started towards her car.

Looking over her shoulder, Ginny laughed at the dumbfounded look on Harry's face. Then he shut his gaping mouth and began chasing after her. As he caught her around the middle, his nose pressed into her neck. She spun in his arms and his mouth pressed to hers in a scorching kiss. Ginny had never been happier to have someone break in through her window.

She pulled back, nuzzling her nose to his. "I've got to say, Harry. You're the most satisfying burglar I've ever had."

Harry snorted, "Just wait until I steal your heart." When he brought his lips back to hers, she had to admit he was off to a good start.


End file.
